Op-Ed
Your Date With Omicron
“All of us have a date with omicron,” Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told The Associated Press on Dec. 20, adding "...and the best way you can encounter this is to be fully vaccinated.”
White House: Clean Up on Aisle Infrastructure
President Biden attempted to clean up the confusion he created shortly after he endorsed the Senate bipartisan infrastructure plan last week by linking it to the passage of his American Families Plan. On Tuesday, he promoted the plan in Wisconsin.
California Judge Berates L.A. County Public Health Department in Outdoor Dining Ruling
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge was critical of county public health officials for banning outdoor dining to slow the spread of the coronavirus without providing scientific evidence that the order would reduce infections.
A Grim Coronavirus Milestone: 150,000 American Deaths
A grim warning was issued by the non-profit group that represents America's medical schools and teaching hospitals: if the nation doesn't change its response to the pandemic, "Multiples of hundreds of thousands" of additional deaths may occur.
Seattle Councilmember Calls for Transit-Oriented Density
Seattle Councilmember Abel Pacheco writes on opinion piece for The Urbanist to make the case for transit-oriented density on The Ave in the city's University District.
Op-Ed: Congestion Pricing Offers New York a 'Promising Path Forwards'
New York State Budget Director Robert Mujica penned a Sunday op-ed for the Daily News on the benefits of congestion pricing. On Tuesday, Gov. Cuomo broke the news on WNYC that he and Mayor de Blasio agreed on tolling the central business district.
Connecticut Transportation Funding Debate: Toll Trucks or Toll All Vehicles?
New Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has reversed the position of his campaign, when he pledged to toll only heavy trucks to tackle traffic congestion. In an op-ed, Lamont explains why all vehicles must be tolled. He also rules out a gas tax hike.
China Population: From Explosion to Implosion
China's one-child policy, which compelled couples to seek abortions or undergo sterilization procedures, ended in October 2015. Yet the country's birth rate hasn't increased, and Communist Party officials are concerned about economic growth.
How Best to Pay for Park, Wildlife, and Water Improvements
Only one of the five propositions on California's June primary ballot is a general obligation bond measure. Prop. 68 authorizes $4 billion for projects benefiting parks and water quality. Opponents prefer a pay-as-you-go approach using general funds.
Value Capture Replaces Congestion Pricing as Governor Cuomo's Subway Funding Fix
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) appears to be backing away from a controversial plan to toll midtown Manhattan but shows no reservations about embracing land value capture, which some regard as a "taking" by taxing land proximate to subway stations.
Tempe Police Chief: Uber AV vs. Pedestrian Crash May Have Been Unavoidable
After viewing the videos taken by two cameras equipped in the Uber autonomous vehicle that fatally struck 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg on Sunday, the chief concluded the crash was difficult to avoid. Also, lessons on the crash from David Leonhardt.
L.A. Transit Ridership Drops 15 Percent in 5 Years Despite New Light Rail Extensions
Bus riders, comprising about three-quarters of Los Angeles Metro ridership, declined 21 percent since 2013, But it wasn't just bus routes—two light rail lines also lost riders.
Op-Ed: Only Political Cowardice Stands in the Way of Congestion Pricing in New York
It was former London mayor Richard Livingstone who accused leaders of cowardice for not supporting congestion pricing, notes a New York Times op-ed that warns that the New York City mayor and New York State governor may "bungle" the opportunity.
HUD Secretary's Op-Ed Focuses on Local Homelessness Solutions
Secretary Carson argues that local housing solutions can solve homelessness.
When Whites Return to the Black Neighborhoods They Fled
Los Angeles Times op-ed writer Erin Aubry Kaplan shares her feelings upon seeing whites return to Inglewood, California half a century after they fled. One consistent theme emerges: "Whatever black people have can be taken away."
How the U.S. Compares to Other Nations in Road Safety
It's not just death from gun violence where the U.S. is an outlier. The New York Times compiled traffic fatality data showing that other developed nations have greatly lower traffic death rates, which wasn't historically the case.
The High Cost of Burying Power Lines
With speculation that downed power lines and exploding transformers may have caused California's most deadly and destructive wildfires, many question why utility companies don't bury these lines through fire-prone areas.
How Overly Restrictive Land Use Regulations Hurt the Nation's Economy
Two economics professors from the University of Chicago and the University of California, Berkeley argue that the housing crisis doesn't just affect booming coastal cities. It's a national problem.
Houston and San Francisco: Urban Development Patterns Gone Awry
With the media rightfully pointing to Houston's sprawling urban development patterns that exacerbated the epic flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey, Paul Krugman also finds fault with cities where urban development is too tightly regulated.
Do Confederate Statues Belong in Public Spaces?
In the aftermath of the violence in Charlottesville, resulting from the gathering of white supremacists and neo-Nazis, American cities are rethinking whether statues honoring the heroes of the Confederacy belong in public spaces.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Village of Glen Ellyn
City of Laramie
American Planning Association, Sustainable Communities Division
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport
Rockdale County Board of Commissioners
